I have hesitated to tell this story, because of the general aura of near-panic surrounding the subject, but my mind will not let it rest.
In the beginning of February, I came down with a hell of a cold; the worst cold I have ever had, by far. It started with a sore throat and cough, then a truly severe headache. It knocked me down flat for two days. I could barely make it to the bathroom and keep the stove going. It took about another 10 days or so before I really felt alright.
This was my first illness in a couple of years, not counting a sinus infection. I seldom get sick, and when I do, it is usually mild. I almost never get headaches. Whatever this was, it was severe. I do not believe it was influenza. I have had the flu many times, and this just felt different.
A couple of days after I felt better, Darlene came down with it. Same symptoms, except she had severe congestion in her lungs, as well. Darlene is a dynamo; even when she is sick, she keeps going. She did not, with this illness. Knocked her completely down for several days, and hung on for another week or so. Then it came back a couple of days after she thought she was over it. I was certainly glad we did not get it at the same time!
A number of our relatives and friends came down with this same illness about the same time. Everyone was impressed with its severity. At least two of them went to the doctor with severe and lasting lung congestion, but the doctors did not know what it was. They did not diagnose it as influenza.
So, was this COVID-19? Maybe, maybe not. The time frame certainly does not fit the mainstream narrative, but the symptoms do. Evidence is accruing that the virus may have already been in the population in January, or even December.
I have many questions. Did we have COVID-19, or possibly another strain of coronavirus? If so, our systems should contain antibodies or other indicators, right? Would the CDC or anyone else care enough to test us, to find out? Or would they just prefer that the public not know how badly they misjudged this? Surely the U.S., with its vast medical technology, could find a way to determine this, if it wanted to. It seems like this would be a useful thing to know, especially for those of us who might already have immunity.
In the meantime, I play the game. I wash my hands better and more often (a good habit, anyway). I keep my distance from others; no handshakes or hugs from my friends. I wear rubber gloves and a mask when shopping in public. I don’t venture out unless I need to.
But in my heart, I wonder.
